An easy weeknight butternut squash soup that has the perfect balance of spice and creaminess without the extra calories!

Ingredients

1 large leek

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 potato, cooked and cubed

4 cups vegetable or chicken stock

Freshly ground black pepper and sea salt, to taste

⅛ teaspoon of ground nutmeg

1 small pinch of curry powder

⅓ cup toasted pecans, chopped

Instructions

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Pierce the skin of the squash and the potato with a fork a few times. Place them on a cookie sheet and roast them for one hour. Pull them from the oven and set them aside to cool.

Halve the leek lengthwise, rinse thoroughly and chop the white and light green parts only. Discard the tough dark green parts. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add leek and sauté until they start to turn golden, 8 to 10 minutes.

Add chopped garlic to the pot and sauté for one more minute.

Grab your potato and squash from the cookie sheet.

Peel the skin from the potato and dice. Set aside. Next, cut your squash in half. Scoop out the seeds and discard. Using a spoon, gently spoon out your squash for your soup. The squash should easily pull away from the skin.

Add your squash, potato, broth, and seasonings to the pot and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for ten minutes. Let soup cool slightly. In a food processor or with a handheld immersion blender, purée the soup until smooth or to your own desired texture. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Toast pecans at 350 degrees on a baking sheet for five minutes. Watch carefully to not burn them.

Scoop soup into soup bowls and top with a sprinkling of toasted pecans.

Recipe by MomAdvice at http://momadvice.com/blog/2012/10/butternut-squash-soup-with-toasted-pecans